U.S. Pat. No. 5,925,039 discloses an electrosurgical instrument in the form of a scalpel or scissors, wherein an active electrode surface consists of an electrically conductive hard metal, such as, for example, tungsten carbide. This can be applied in a layer on an electrically conductive or non-conductive support. The hard metal surface's better heat conduction means that it exhibits less tissue adhesion than surfaces made of stainless steel.
US 2013/0338663 A1 discloses an ablation catheter whose ablation electrode is in thermal contact with a heat sink, but which is electrically insulated from the ablation electrode. The heat sink can consist of diamond-like carbon (DLC), aluminum nitride, a thermally conductive synthetic resin, i.e., a ceramic, or other nonconductors.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,925,043 proposes an electrosurgical electrode with a conductive non-stick coating. This is done by providing a metal electrode with a hard material layer (titanium nitride) that is considered to be a ceramic layer. In addition, other ceramic layers (transition metal nitrides) are proposed.
DE 42 12 053 C1 also discloses forceps whose branches have, at their ends, a layer made of (going from inside to outside) a corrosion protection layer, a hard material layer, and a precious metal layer.